What is the Keto Diet and Who is it For?

“One of the most studied strategies in recent years for weight loss is the ketogenic diet. Many studies have shown that this kind of nutritional approach has a solid physiological and biochemical basis and is able to induce effective weight loss along with improvement in several cardiovascular risk parameters.” 2014 review published in the International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health.

I’ve been getting a TON of questions about my meals lately and the HIGH-FAT foods that I’ve been eating. A typical day lately has been eggs cooked in BUTTER with bacon, Shakeology with heavy cream, FAT BOMBS (dude, these will change your life), and salmon cooked in BUTTER with veggies…topped with BUTTER.

Have I lost my mind? Maybe lol! But I’m seeing how I feel on a high-fat low-carb diet, and so far so good!

So have I gone ‘keto’? I say that I’m ketoISH lol—I don’t like to label how I eat. BUT eating this way has really helped me burn fat (I haven’t been this lean in a LONG time), I’m super satisfied with my meals, I can go LONGER between meals, and no bloating!!

What IS the Ketogenic Diet?

The Ketogenic Diet is a high-fat, adequate protein, low-carb diet that forces the body to burn fat stores instead of carbs. Ketones are molecules formed by the breakdown of stored fat and are an important source of fuel. When the body is in ketosis, the process by which the body uses those fuels, ketones are essential for survival.

The Ketogenic diet was originally designed in the 1920s for patients with epilepsy by researchers working at John Hopkins Medical Center. The researchers found that fasting—avoiding ALL food for brief periods of time—helped reduce the amount of seizures patients suffered. They also found other positive effects on body fat, blood sugar, hunger levels, and cholesterol.

Since long-term fasting isn’t possible for more than a few days, the ketogenic diet was developed to mimic the same beneficial effects of fasting. The ketogenic diet works by tricking the body into thinking its fasting through a strict elimination of glucose that is found in carb rich foods.

My Keto Guide is here!!!

I’m SO excited to share it with you! It has several meal plans, recipes (lots of fat bombs!), plateau busting tips, how to calculate your macros and a LOT more! Basically, it’s an all-encompassing guide for starting keto!

So how does ketosis work?

The body stores about 40,000 calories of fat compared to just 2,000 calories of carbohydrate glycogen. When the carbs have been depleted, the body taps into those fat stores for energy. Eat fewer carbs and the body goes straight to the stored body fat.

Switching from foods high in carbs (think sugary cereal, pasta, whole grain bread, soda, etc.), which cause chronic illness and make you fat, to foods that keep you lean and energetic without getting hungry seems like a no-brainer, right?!

The process of burning fat helps us shed extra weight, but also helps control the release of hormones like insulin, which plays a role in the development of diabetes and other health issues.

The average American is a ‘sugar burner’. They eat carbs for breakfast, so their blood sugar spikes, then crashes before lunch, when the next carb fix comes. This process happens over and over again.

What are some benefits of eating Ketogenic?

When your body goes into a state of ketosis, great things can happen!

“Two years ago, LeBron James famously lost 25 pounds and upped his late-game endurance by cutting carbs and sugars from his diet. Tim Ferris, the author of the Four-Hour self-improvement book series, followed a strict keto diet to cure his Lyme disease, and performs a long multi-day fast every four months as a means, he says, of pushing ketosis further and starving incipient pre-cancerous cells of sugar. Last summer, Sami Inkinen, the ultra-fit co-founder of real estate juggernaut Trulia, rowed with his wife from California to Hawaii in record time on a keto diet, to promote high-fat eating and raise awareness about the dangers of too much sugar. The Keto Diet, says its ardent supporters, is a natural way to literally reprogram your metabolism and transition to an upgraded operating system. You’ll ultimately feel better and perform better, and your body fat will plummet.”Mensfitness.com

Here are 4 major benefits of a Ketogenic Diet:

1.Weight Loss!

Most people trying to lose weight do so by cutting calories and eating a low-fat diet. Low-fat diets tend to leave people feeling HUNGRY, therefore adherence is difficult.

Low carb diets can reduce hunger and boost weight loss through their hormonal effects. As previously described, when we eat low carb, we release less insulin. With less insulin around, the body doesn’t need to store extra energy in the form of fat for later use and is able to reach into existing fat stores for energy instead.

Diets that are high in healthy fats also tend to be super filling, reducing overeating of junk calories.

2. Reduced risk of Type 2 Diabetes!

A modified ketogenic diet (low carb) can be beneficial for most relatively healthy adults who are at an increased risk for metabolic syndrome, including those struggling to control levels of blood sugar or losing weight.

3. Possible protection against cancer!

Evidence has shown that ketosis can help prevent Alzheimer’s, treat epilepsy, AND cure cancer. Cancer cells THRIVE in a high-sugar environment because they rely on glycogen (sugar burned for energy) to survive.

There’s been research published that ketogenic diets can double the lifespan of mice with metastatic cancers, and leading Boston College cancer researcher Thomas Seyfried, M.D., believe that a keto diet is therapeutically even more valuable in fighting cancer than chemo. SAY WHAT?!

4. Protection against heart disease risk factors!

Heart disease is caused by inflammation, which is influenced by too much SUGAR, processed junk, and trans fats—NOT due to healthy fats like olive oil, salmon, and nuts.

Keto is WAY lower in protein than I’m used to. If you eat low carb high protein, what happens is your body turns the protein into sugar in your body in a process called gluconeogenesis. When eating Keto, you eat ALL THE FAT. Which can be hard for a lot of people, especially since we’ve been told that fat is BAD.

The recommended macronutrient ratio for someone on a Keto diet is:

Carbs: 10%

Fats: 70%

Protein: 20%

It’s ideal to keep carbs under 50 grams/day. This adds up fast lol! 1 up of brown rice is 50g carbs!

If you’re new to tracking macros, I suggest getting started with My Fitness Pal! It’s awesome and FREE! You can add me: Rachelngom

My Fave Keto Supplements/Products:

My Fave Keto Books:

Will I eat this way forever? I dunno! I feel pretty awesome right now! I know my body doesn’t do well with a ton of carbs, and I really like the freedom I have not needing to snack all the darn time. And butter. And cheese. And fat bombs.

Hi, Pinterest sent me your way. Great info for a beginner like me. I’m so ready I clicked on the link above for your free meal plan. Sadly, it says the mailing list isn’t active. I would really love a copy. If it’s still available, it can be sent to my email. I included it in the line below.

hey Tenisha! thanks for the heads up…we are in the middle of switching email providers so there may be a few hiccups. Sign up for the free keto challenge and you’ll def get some help =) rachelngom.com/free-keto-group